Triumphant, tragic stories share DeSoto stage in 2012

A few notable events during 2012 include: (TOP, LEFT) a topping ceremony that marks the halfway point in construction Methodist Healthcare Olive Branch Hospital, scheduled for completion in 2013; (TOP, RIGHT) Olympian Trell Kimmons (right) returned home in September following the summer Olympics with a message for area students of getting fit, staying fit and living fit; (BOTTOM, RIGHT) Southaven Mayor Greg Davis’ problems continue with his indictment by the DeSoto County grand jury and an ongoing civil suit with his ex-wife; (BOTTOM, LEFT) DeSoto County’s new 304 capacity Adult Detention Center opened this month and director of Detention Services Chad Wicker said, “This new facility is just light years ahead of where we are at the old facility.”

From the inspirational to the tragic, news from DeSoto County and North Mississippi in 2012 covered the full range of emotions.

The downfall of Southaven Mayor Greg Davis continued to play out with his indictment as the year ended on three state counts by a DeSoto County grand jury. Prosecutor John Champion and state Auditor Stacey Pickering promised the charges were only the "tip of the iceberg" as the case against Davis moves forward.

And on the inspirational side, there was the story of Olympic athlete Trell Kimmons of Coldwater in Tate County.

Also on the list would have to be completion of a new 65,000-square-foot county DeSoto County jail in Hernando after 18 months of construction and the ongoing progress of the new Methodist Le Bonheur Hospital in Olive Branch that continues to rise toward the sky in anticipation of a mid-2013 opening.

GREG DAVIS

The beleaguered mayor's story, which began in late 2011, took numerous twists and turns throughout 2012. At the beginning of the year, revelations were just coming out that Pickering's office had ordered Davis to repay more than $170,000, including penalties and interest, for city funds that Pickering said Davis had misspent.

During the year, The Commercial Appeal reported that Davis had also been involved in questionable real estate dealings and received stipends that raised some eyebrows. In addition, Davis' ex-wife, Suzann Savage Davis, filed to amend the couple's divorce settlement, saying the mayor hid assets from her, drinks excessively around his children and used his political clout to threaten her.

Davis remains in office as mayor to begin 2013, but more charges in the ongoing state and federal investigation appear certain in the months ahead.

TRELL KIMMONS

A native of Coldwater, Kimmons was on the four-member U.S. squad for the 400-meter relay at this summer's Olympic Games in London.

Kimmons, who ran the first leg, was honored with a parade in his hometown after his return to celebrate the team's second-place finish and silver medal. Team USA finished second to Jamaica with an American-record time of 37.04.

"It was probably one of the most memorable days of my life," Kimmons said during remarks at Coldwater's Jessie J. Edwards Public Library after his parade. "All I could think about was Coldwater. I could not let you guys down."

DESOTO COUNTY JAIL

After years of planning and 18 months of construction, the DeSoto County Adult Detention Center opened this month.

The public got a look at the 65,000-square-foot facility, just south of Hernando, during an open house Dec. 1.

The new facility can accommodate 280 male and female prisoners, and it has 24 beds in a wing for mental patients to bring the total capacity to 304. Also, the jail can expand to 1,000 beds when needed.

DeSoto County issued a $16 million bond to pay for the facility, which came in at a final cost of $15.7 million. The jail is on 52 acres that can be accessed from the Hernando Industrial Park off Vaiden Drive.

METHODIST LE BONHEUR HOSPITAL-OLIVE BRANCH

On the eastern side of DeSoto County, Olive Branch's long-sought hospital began to take shape at Bethel Road and U.S. 78.

Scheduled for a mid-2013 opening, the 100-bed hospital will offer a range of services including obstetrics, cardiology, open-heart surgery, MRI services and cardiac catheterization.

The facility will give Olive Branch and eastern DeSoto the medical services that community leaders had lobbied for over the years in the face of continuing population growth that hospital supporters said made a facility essential. Until now, the only full-service hospital in DeSoto County has been Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto on the opposite side of the county in Southaven.

Olive Branch leaders also expect the hospital to be the catalyst for other development as doctor's offices, lodging and other support facilities begin to fill in the area around the medical center.